Ventilated plumbing fixture



May 26, 1936- T. J. RB'ERTsoN 2,041,962

VENTILATED PLUMBING FIXTURE Filed June 22, 1934 matted May 26, 1936- PATENT OFFICE PLUMBING FIXTURE Thomas I. Robertson, Kansas City, Mo., assigner of one-hall' to Pani C. Ford, Kansas Ci ty, Mo.

applicati@ June zz, 1934, serial No. '131,800

s claims. Y(CL4-213i This invention relates to ventilated plumbing fixtures and more particularly toa ventilated water closet and has for its principal object 'to provide for withdrawing air from within the toilet bowl and discharging it into the vent stack of the soil pipe to which the fixture is connected, thereby relieving the bowl of -foul air that normally escapes into the room wherein the fixture is installed. y

Other important objects of the invention are to provide a Ventilating mechanism built directly into the xture, to provide means for automatically starting the ventilating mechanism when the fixture isv in use, to provide means for sealing the Ventilating duct against back ow of 4gases from the vent stack when the Ventilating mechanism is not in operation and toV prevent water from leaking into the motor which operates the ventilating fan.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred form of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 isa perspective view of a Water closet constructed' in accordancewith the present invention, apart of the bowl being shown in section to better illustrate itsl construction and arrangementof Ventilating ducts. y

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the toilet bowl, part 0 of which is shown in section to illustrate the suction and discharge ducts.

Fig. 3is a cross sectional view through the mo- .tor and fan compartment of the toilet bowl on the line 3 3, Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a detail section through the bowl on the line 4-4, Fig. 1, particularly illustrating the water seal for the discharge duct.

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective section through a portion of the bowl and seal illustrating Ythe 4 switch for automatically effecting operation of the ian motor when the toilet is in use.

Referring more in detail to the drawing:

I designates a water closet including a toilet bowl 2 and a flush tank 3 for containing vthe u water used in flushing the bowl to discharge its contents therefrom as in conventional practice. 'Ihe howl 'includes a hopper portion I thatis supported on a Vsuitable base 5 and which has a rim 6 extending around the open top thereof to sup- 50 port a toilet seat 'I. The toilet seat 'I is provided with hinged brackets Il having sleeved portions 9 hingedly mounted on a transverse rod I0 that is supported by brackets II, the brackets being carried on a rear extension I2 of the toilet -Il bowl, as best shown in Fig.: 1. 'lhe seat may also be .provided with the usual cover I3v which is hinged to the rod I0.

The seat 'I is normally retainedin spaced relation with the rim 6 by a spring Il coiled about the rod I0 and having one end engaging one of 5 the brackets II and its other end engaging the sleeve portion 9 of one of the seat hinge members 8.

rlhe spring is wound about the shaft with sufcient tension to support the weight of the seat l0 I including the cover 2, but when a person is seated on the toilet, the spring yields to allow the seat 'I to have support on the rim 6 of the bowl for a purpose hereinafter described.

Formed in the base 5 and connected with the l5 upper portion of the bowl is a sump I5 to form a water seal and which terminates in an upwardly and downwardly extending discharge duct I6 having an outlet I1 connected to the customary soil pipe (not shown). Formed integrally with 20 the bowl and projecting downwardly within the sump is a partition I8 cooperating with a lip I9 in the bend 20 of the discharge duct to more eiectively' form the seal againstereverse flow of gases from the soil pipe through the duct and 25 into the bowl. The upper portion ofthe partition is spaced below the top wall 2| of the bowl to provide a ow channel 22,wherethrough the water in the ush tank is discharged into the bowl, the flow channel being connected with the ush tank through a suitable pipe connection 23 as shown in Fig. 1. Also formed in the bowl and communicating with the outlet of the connection 22 is a secondary ow channel 24 that is lconnected with a manifold channel 25 extending 35 circumferentially within the rim having an annular outlet -26 for discharging the water down vthe inner walls of the hopper to maintain the walls of the hopper clean of waste material.

As above pointed out. it is the purpose of the present invention to provide means tor withdrawing the foul air from the bowl and discharging the air into the discharge duct at a point below the water seal and to accomplish this purpose, the water ow channel 22 also forms a suc- 45 tion duct which is extended rearwardly Within the oiset portion of the bowl to communicate with a fan chamber 2'I that is formed within the extension of the bowl directly above a motor compartment that is separatd'from the fan 50 chamber by a horizontal partition 29 as best shown in Fig. 1. The partition is provided with an opening 39 having substantially the same diameter as the fan chamber to permit insertion of a fan 32 therethrough. The opening is nor- 55 mally closed by a plate 33 that is'removably secured to the under face of the partition by fastening devices 34.

The motor 35 is suspendingly supported by the plate within the motor compartment and has its armature shaft 36 rotatably mounted in a bearing opening 31 of the plate to directly mount the fan in driving relation with the armature. The opening 31 is sealed about the shaft by a suitable packing ring 38 that is received in a recess in the upper face thereof to prevent moisture which collects in the fan chamber from leaking into the motor compartment.

The fan is preferably of the multi-vane type and has a central air inlet 40 communicating with` the iiow channel 22 through a port 4I that is formed in the partition 42 forming the top of the fan chamber.

The fan has peripheral discharge communicating with a discharge duct 43 that is formed in the partition I8 and which extends downwardly to terminate in a U-shaped bend 45 having its discharge end located below the surface of the water seal and opening directly into the discharge duct I6. The U-shaped bend thus forms a water seal to prevent back flow of gases through duct 43 and fan chamber into the bowl when the fan is not in operation. When, however, the motor is energized to actuate the fan, the air moved thereby is discharged through the bend 45 displacing the water into the duct I6, but when the fan is stopped, the bend 45 is refilled by water from the toilet bowl to reestablish the seal.

In order to effect automatic operation of the motor and the fan driven thereby, the seat 1 operates a switch. 46 that is positioned thereunder for actuation when the seat is moved against tension of its spring toward the rim 6 of the bowl. The switch includes a'housing 41 having a xed contact 48 connected with one of the motor leads 49 and a movable contact 50 connected to the current supply wire 5 I the other supply wire 52 being directly connected to the other motor lead 53. The movable contact is actuated by a plunger 54 slidable in an opening 55 of the switch housing and projecting therefrom to be engaged by the seat when the seat is moved to depressed condition. Access is had to themotor compartment 28 through an opening 56 in the side wall .of the bowl extension. The opening is covered by a plate 51 which is held in place by screws 58 threaded into the extension.

When the toilet is in use, the weight of a person on the seat 1 eifects closing of the switch to energize the motor to start operation of the fan. 'Ihe air from the bowl is drawn by the fan through the channels 22, ports 40 and discharged circumferentially of the fan blades into the inlet of the discharge duct 43 which causes vdisplacement of the water in the trap of the duct by reason of pressure of the air moved by the fan. The air flows through the outlet of the discharge duct into the duct I6 from which it is carried away by the vent for the soil pipe (not shown). Any water carried into the fan chamber with the air will be centrifugally discharged from the fan blades and will flow along with the foul air through the discharge duct 43.

When the toilet is flushed, the Water seal will overilow into the discharge duct I6, but'the water from the ilush tank reiills the trap I5 to prevent When the pressure on the seat is released, the

spring I4 lifts the seat from engagement with the rim of the bowl to allow release of the plunger 54 to open circuit of the motor and stop operation `of the fan. 5

' From the foregoing, it is apparent that I have provided a simple Ventilating means wherein foul air is withdrawn from the toilet and discharged into the vent stack of the soil pipe to which the fixture is connected thereby preventing the foul 10 air from escaping into the room wherein the iixture is installed.

It is also apparent that the Ventilating mechanism is automatically operated when the toilet is used and that the Ventilating ducts are normally l5 sealed against reverse flow of gases when the fan is not in operation by means of water from the water seal of the toilet bowl.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a xture of the character described, a toilet bowl having a discharge duct and a water seal in the bowl for sealing said discharge duct, and means carried by the bowl and having an intake connected with the interior of the bowl 25 for withdrawing air from the bowl and having an outlet connection with the discharge duct at a point within the water seal.

2. In a xture of the character described, a toilet bowl having a discharge duct and a 30 water seall in the bowl for sealing said discharge duct and having a fan chamber formed as a part of the bowl, said chamber having an inlet connected with the interior of the bowl and an outlet terminating in a reverse bend located be- 35 low vvthe water seal, a fan in said chamber for withdrawing air from the bowl and discharging the withdrawn air into the discharge side of the water seal, a motor connected with the fan, a circuit for the motor, and a switch in the circuit 40 for effecting actuation of the motor to operate the fan.

3. In a fixture of the character described, a toilet bowl having a discharge duct provided with a water seal for maintaining water in the bowl 45 and having an air duct including a trap portion located within said Water seal whereby said trap portion is kept lled with water from the water seal, a fan chamber having an inlet connected with the interior of said bowl above the water-50 seal and an outlet connected with said air duct,

a fan in the fan chamber, and means for actuating the fan to withdraw air from the bowl and to discharge said air through said trap portion of the air duct into the discharge duct. 55

4. In a xture of the character described, a toilet bowl, a water trap in the bowl and having an inlet connected with the bowl and an outlet, means in the bowl'forming an air duct having outlet within'the trap on said outlet side, a fan 60 chamber having an inlet connected with the interior of the bowl and an outlet connected with said air duct, a fan in the fan chamber, and means for actuating the fan to withdraw air from the bowl and discharge said air through 65 said trap.

5. In a fixture of the character described, a toilet bowl, a water trap in the bowl and having an inlet connected with the bowl and an outlet, means in the bowl forming an air duct having outlet within a body of water contained in the trap on said outlet side, a fan chamber in the bowl located above the level of water contained in said trap and having an inlet connected with the interior of the bowl and an outlet connected l with said air duct, a fan in the i'an chamber, and

'said trep.

6. In a xture of the character described, a

toilet bowl having a depending partition to form a U-shaped water seal in the bottom of the bowl, a fan connected with the bowl and having an inlet connected with the interiorof the bowl at a point above .the water seal and having an outlet connected with a discharge duct extending in said partition and terminating in a reverse bend below-the water seal, and means for actuating the fan to withdraw odors from the interior of the bowl and for discharging the odorsthrough said reverse bend at substantially the level of the water seal. f

THOMAS J. ROBERTSON. 

